The dynamic tag team of Boris Johnson and Tessa Jowell are in agreement: let's move badminton and rhythmic gymnastics to Wembley Arena. Jowell has changed her stance in a compromise that sees Boris drop his opposition to holding shooting events at Woolwich. Badminton and gymnastics were originally set for a temporary structure known as North Greenwich Arena 2, south of the O2 dome (Arena 1, in case you were wondering, appears to be on the bottom of the Thames).
By decamping to Wembley, organisers will save around £20 million in construction and demolition costs. But the suggestion has ruffled a few shuttlecock feathers with sports federation Badminton England. They've dropped a cheeky one over the net by arguing the move could damage competitors' performances due to increased travel time from the Olympic Village. Does that really make much difference? Professional footballers routinely travel hundreds of miles to play a team that has only travelled a few metres. Here, all competitors would be on a level playing field and travelling for less than an hour. Seems a small sacrifice to save the nation £20 million and assuage the IOC, who last week complained about venue dithering. BJ and TJ will now attempt to convince the sports bodies and the British Olympic Association. Image by Beckywithasmile under creative commons license.
